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A run-of-the-mill composer prays for the talent to be in the same league as the phenomenon Wolfgang Amadeus (literally, “love of God”) Mozart, offering, in return, his chastity, but in the end, watches Mozart’s spellbinding success, and is left with just the chastity. So begins a war between the composer, Antonio Salieri, and God, a war which devours him, confines to an asylum, and drives Mozart to an early grave.
Peter Shaffer’s plays dealt with man’s (mostly failed) relationship with his God, none more illustrative of that struggle that his 1979 masterwork, Amadeus, which swept London and New York, going on to become a major motion picture in 1984 and winning several Academy Awards.
Amadeus will be unveiled by Talk is Free Theatre (TiFT) at the newly-dubbed Five Points Theatre (formerly the Mady Centre) in mid-February.
TiFT artistic producer Arkady Spivak says for Salieri to shake his fist at the Almighty is quite human.
“We certainly tend to suffer from comparing ourselves to those who might have succeeded more profoundly, thinking that their success is not so much a matter of hard work, resilience and abilities, but as a deliberate act of making us feel disadvantaged.”
The green-eyed monster rears its ugly head, but not for what observers might think.
“I do not think that Salieri was as envious of Mozart as he was envious of the ease with which Mozart created his masterpieces. Salieri, on the other hand, had to pay a much higher price for his talent and is therefore subject to more scrutiny.”
And as a theatregoer, Spivak finds his sympathies shifting as the play goes on.
“I feel sorry for Salieri in that he was never fully realized. But I (also) sympathize with Mozart, whose work continues to give delight and pleasure to a cross-section of people.”
And Spivak chastises society for not recognizing and celebrating the geniuses in our midst.
“I think the greater the talent, the more they are remembered and treasured in afterlife. Can you imagine how delightful our world would have been like if we paid attention to the geniuses in real time?”
And what of the efforts Salieri then makes to come to terms with his place opposite the musical genius for the ages, absolving himself and other “mediocrities”?
Spivak says, “I think it's more of a call for anyone to try and distinguish themselves. Some of us do not think to distinguish ourselves, and then go straight into envy when others do. Odd, that.”
Folks who make the trip downtown to see this play can anticipate stellar performances from the likes of David Coomber as Mozard and Alex Poch-Goldin as Salieri “both pillars of the company and both born to play those roles.”
Spivak and director Esther Jun have cast in supporting roles actors who have been part of the TiFT landscape in main roles, and “part of our appeal,” says Spivak, “is to reunite them in a pertinent work. Many played leading parts before, like Alana Hibbert and Amy Keating, yet they are back playing smaller roles, for which we are grateful."
Jun has been quoted as saying “We all dream of being Mozarts but most of us are Salieris and I love this play for all the ‘mediocrities everywhere’ now and to come.”
Spivak anxiously looks forward to the February 15 opening.
“This is a great play, great director, beautiful designs and tremendous actors. I am very much looking forward to what gets cooked up.”
Talk is Free Theatre’s production of Amadeus runs Feb. 15-24 at the Five Points Theatre,
